All LPG consumers will have to furnish their Aadhaar card details by November 30 if they wish to continue availing subsidies, the government has announced.
The petroleum ministry, in a notification issued earlier this week, mandated Aadhaar following enactment of a new law which allowed the government to direct use of the UID number for availing of any benefits that required spending from the Central exchequer.
“Care has been taken that those who do not have an Aadhaar number get time and facilities to acquire one. There are alternate IDs that will work and oil companies will provide enrolment facilities,” said Unique Identification Authority of India chief executive officer Ajay Bhushan Pandey.
The step holds significance as significant as there are 14 crore registered LPG users.
After LPG, the central government intends to bring Public Distribution System (PDS), rural employment guarantee scheme, pensions, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and national scholarships in the Aadhaar net. The step has been initiated to discourage fraud and ensure savings for the government.
DBT in LPG
If one connection per family with an average of four members is seen as the norm, the move will help target subsidies impacting more than 50 crore individuals.
“Individuals desirous of LPG subsidies are hereby required to furnish proof of possession of Aadhaar or undergo Aadhaar authentication,” the notification said, adding those who did not possess a number should visit the nearest enrolment centre. And, in areas where there are no centres oil marketing companies have been asked to provide the facility.
The use of Aadhaar for LPG subsidy has not been mandated in Assam, Meghalaya and Jammu and Kashmir.
Till the time of Aadhaar enrolment, an individual would be entitled to subsidy if she presents a bank photo passbook or an Aadhaar enrolment slip if she is enrolled.
Other ID proofs such as a passport, driving licences, voter ID along with the request for enrollment would be acceptable. A third option is for an individual to give an undertaking that he or she is not availing of subsidy using another consumer number of any oil marketing company, the notification added.